Canada is known for its vast forests and mountain ranges and the animals that reside within them, such as moose , beaver, caribou, polar bears, grizzly bears, geese, lynx, and the common loon. MOOSE: Moose are the largest of all the deer species. . Males are immediately recognizable by their huge antlers, which can spread 6 feet (1.8 meters) from end to end. Moose are so tall that they prefer to browse higher grasses and shrubs because lowering their heads to ground level can be difficult.
BEAVER:
The Canadian beaver is a semi-aquatic mammal, which is indigenous to Canada. . This rodent is known for its natural ability to build dams on rivers in order to acquire still deep waters as a protection against predators.. The home of beavers is called a lodge and is used for storing food and floating building material. The Canadian beaver became a national cultural icon due to its significance to the Canadian fur trade. The beaver is now a national animal.The very first stamps in Canada featured the beaver and were called the 'Three Penny Beaver'. The beaver is a well-loved Canadian mammal and in 1976 it became the mascot of the Summer Olympic Games held in Montreal.
Beavers are represented on the 5 cents Canadian dollar:
CARIBOU: The caribou is in the order of Artioldactyl and is a member of the deer family. It looks like a large mule deer or small elk with soft hollow hair, long legs, large hooves and large antlers. Caribous are wild, if they are domesticated they are called reindeer. The caribou has a very warm, very soft fur that is hollow, insulated, and sheds water and snow.
POLAR BEARS: The Polar Bear is often regarded as a marine mammal because it spends many months of the year at sea, having as its favourite habitat the annual sea ice. The polar bear is the largest terrestrial carnivore, being more than twice as large as the Siberian tiger. The polar bear is the most carnivorous member of the bear family, and most of its diet consists of ringed and bearded seals. Unlike grizzly bears, polar bears are not territorial . Although stereotyped as being voraciously aggressive, they are normally cautious in confrontations, and often choose to escape rather than fight. Satiated polar bears rarely attack humans unless severely provoked, whereas hungry polar bears are extremely unpredictable and are known to kill and sometimes eat humans.
GRIZZLY BEAR:
The grizzly bear is a large predator that is different from black bears due to a distinctive hump on its shoulders. Grizzly bears have concave faces and long claws about the length of a human finger. Their coloration is usually darkish brown but can vary from very light cream to black. The long guard hairs on their backs and shoulders often have white tips and give the bears a "grizzled" appearance, hence the name "grizzly".Grizzly bears are omnivorous and eat both vegetation and animals, such as grasses, sedges, roots, berries, insects, fish, carrion and small and large mammals. Grizzly bears are found in a variety of habitats, from dense forests, to subalpine meadows and arctic tundra. In North America, grizzly bears are found in western Canada. CANADIAN GEESE: Canada Geese are most easily identified by their long black neck, with a black head, crown and bill. They have a contrasting white cheek and throat area. Their undertail covert are white. Their back, upper wings and flank are dark brown with a lighter brown (sometimes, nearly white) breast and belly. They have a short black tail and black legs with black webbed feet. The smallest Canada Geese (called "cackling geese" because of their high-pitched vocalizations) are only 1/4 the size of the largest Canada Geese (called "honkers"). Canada Geese, like most waterfowl, eat aquatic vegetation, grass, roots and young sprouts. They also eat grain and corn from agricultural areas. The main enemy of the Canada Goose is people. In an attempt to control rising populations some areas have begun egg collection and/or hunting efforts to decrease the number of geese in their area. Natural enemies include the Arctic fox, gulls, Bald Eagles, Peregrine Falcons, Snowy Owls, and Prairie Falcons.
CANADIAN LYNX: They are stout-bodied animals with thick, soft fur and short, stubby tails. . They also have a tuft of hair, more than 2 cm long, at the tip of each ear. Their backs are dark grey and their belly is grayish-white, often with black spots.. They have long legs and extremely large feet that enable them to travel easily over deep snow. . They are very agile climbers, spending some of their time in good weather on the limbs of trees, waiting for the weaker mammals and terrestrial birds, that constitute their prey, to pass beneath them. It is common for the Canadian Lynx to stalk their prey. They generally hunt alone, although group hunting and ambushing has been observed. They feed mostly on Snowshoe Hares. They will also eat small birds, rodents, deer, and caribou. Although not a timid hunter, the lynx will rarely contest its prey if confronted by other carnivores and will leave the kill uneaten. But when it comes to protecting their young, nothing holds them back.
ANIMAL SYMBOLS OF CANADA
Canada is known for its vast forests and mountain ranges and the animals that reside within them, such as moose , beaver, caribou, polar bears, grizzly bears, geese, lynx, and the common loon.MOOSE:
Moose are the largest of all the deer species. . Males are immediately recognizable by their huge antlers, which can spread 6 feet (1.8 meters) from end to end. Moose are so tall that they prefer to browse higher grasses and shrubs because lowering their heads to ground level can be difficult.
BEAVER:
The Canadian beaver is a semi-aquatic mammal, which is indigenous to Canada. . This rodent is known for its natural ability to build dams on rivers in order to acquire still deep waters as a protection against predators.. The home of beavers is called a lodge and is used for storing food and floating building material.
The Canadian beaver became a national cultural icon due to its significance to the Canadian fur trade. The beaver is now a national animal.The very first stamps in Canada featured the beaver and were called the 'Three Penny Beaver'. The beaver is a well-loved Canadian mammal and in 1976 it became the mascot of the Summer Olympic Games held in Montreal.
Beavers are represented on the 5 cents Canadian dollar:
The caribou is in the order of Artioldactyl and is a member of the deer family. It looks like a large mule deer or small elk with soft hollow hair, long legs, large hooves and large antlers. Caribous are wild, if they are domesticated they are called reindeer.
The caribou has a very warm, very soft fur that is hollow, insulated, and sheds water and snow.
POLAR BEARS:
The Polar Bear is often regarded as a marine mammal because it spends many months of the year at sea, having as its favourite habitat the annual sea ice.
The polar bear is the largest terrestrial carnivore, being more than twice as large as the Siberian tiger.
The polar bear is the most carnivorous member of the bear family, and most of its diet consists of ringed and bearded seals.
Unlike grizzly bears, polar bears are not territorial . Although stereotyped as being voraciously aggressive, they are normally cautious in confrontations, and often choose to escape rather than fight. Satiated polar bears rarely attack humans unless severely provoked, whereas hungry polar bears are extremely unpredictable and are known to kill and sometimes eat humans.
GRIZZLY BEAR:
The grizzly bear is a large predator that is different from black bears due to a distinctive hump on its shoulders. Grizzly bears have concave faces and long claws about the length of a human finger. Their coloration is usually darkish brown but can vary from very light cream to black.
The long guard hairs on their backs and shoulders often have white tips and give the bears a "grizzled" appearance, hence the name "grizzly".Grizzly bears are omnivorous and eat both vegetation and animals, such as grasses, sedges, roots, berries, insects, fish, carrion and small and large mammals.
Grizzly bears are found in a variety of habitats, from dense forests, to subalpine meadows and arctic tundra. In North America, grizzly bears are found in western Canada.
CANADIAN GEESE:
Canada Geese are most easily identified by their long black neck, with a black head, crown and bill. They have a contrasting white cheek and throat area. Their undertail covert are white. Their back, upper wings and flank are dark brown with a lighter brown (sometimes, nearly white) breast and belly. They have a short black tail and black legs with black webbed feet.
The smallest Canada Geese (called "cackling geese" because of their high-pitched vocalizations) are only 1/4 the size of the largest Canada Geese (called "honkers").
Canada Geese, like most waterfowl, eat aquatic vegetation, grass, roots and young sprouts. They also eat grain and corn from agricultural areas.
The main enemy of the Canada Goose is people. In an attempt to control rising populations some areas have begun egg collection and/or hunting efforts to decrease the number of geese in their area.
Natural enemies include the Arctic fox, gulls, Bald Eagles, Peregrine Falcons, Snowy Owls, and Prairie Falcons.
They are stout-bodied animals with thick, soft fur and short, stubby tails. . They also have a tuft of hair, more than 2 cm long, at the tip of each ear. Their backs are dark grey and their belly is grayish-white, often with black spots.. They have long legs and extremely large feet that enable them to travel easily over deep snow. . They are very agile climbers, spending some of their time in good weather on the limbs of trees, waiting for the weaker mammals and terrestrial birds, that constitute their prey, to pass beneath them.
It is common for the Canadian Lynx to stalk their prey. They generally hunt alone, although group hunting and ambushing has been observed. They feed mostly on Snowshoe Hares. They will also eat small birds, rodents, deer, and caribou. Although not a timid hunter, the lynx will rarely contest its prey if confronted by other carnivores and will leave the kill uneaten. But when it comes to protecting their young, nothing holds them back.
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Exercises:
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http://dl.dropbox.com/u/47621644/beaver.htm